Deadly Doppelganger
by angie9281
Summary: When the machinations of a power crazed warlock causes a diabolical creation to arise in hopes of taking the hybrid daughter of Sookie and Eric-among other targets- things go from bad to worse rapidly. And when the truth is stifled in more than one way, can there be hope of the dark magic to be broken or will the new family be torn apart before it can truly begin to thrive?
1. Chapter 1

_**Author's note-sorry it has taken so long to get another story up…but here is the first chapter of a multichapter story I have wanted to get out for some time. Thanks again for all the reviews, for favoriting me and please take time to read and review my other stories. Thanks again and have a great day!**_

 **Prologue**

The room was dimmed, lit only by the candles that lit the pentagram on the floor, light reflecting the blood that had been spilled, the magical torture that had needed to be performed to achieve his means. That he had been following the two since they had returned from Sweden, that he had come to learn of the child that they had had together. A very rare and unique child that he longed to study, to harness whatever abilities she had. But there was always someone around that protected them, no matter what. Should she be alone in the fortified manor house she had recently moved into, that gated community of a mere few vamps, Ginger and herself, the security in place was as strong if not more so than what was at the White House. And so for him to get his hands on the child, he knew he had to delve into only the most insidious, clever magic he could think up. And though by all means it was not foolproof, he knew that if he could get the child and bring it back to his own sanctuary, even if what he created here tonight were to fail, he would still be safe, protected by the dark arts he had long been summoning to keep him and his work safe. That he had happened across the path of a vampire in Europe willing to help him in this in the promise of giving him the faerie girl was a stroke of luck that could have only been conjured by the magic he had cast. That this vampire here before him had agreed to suffer through this to help him was fortunate and as he finished off the magic, the warlock laughed to himself as he watched the body on the slab before him shifting as he used the magic he possessed to alter the appearance of the vampire, who seemed to be in pain but was so dead set on getting that the warlock had promised him that he was willing to endure anything to get it.

"How are you feeling?" the warlock asked his subject who was slightly trembling with the magic still working its influence through him. Already, the vamp was inches taller and leaner than he had been before. The warlock had known that he needed to find a body that was somewhat similar to the one he hoped to screw over for the magic to work properly. He couldn't risk anything going wrong as it had cost him a great deal to even work this magic. A blood sacrifice that led to him aging a decade in the past hour to summon the power needed to work this magic.

"Weird…..like…I am still me but I feel different….." replied the vampire as he lifted a arm and examined it. "I was always lean and strong but never this muscly. I feel like a new vampire."

"You are….well, almost are. I have one last thing to give you before we can finally get these plans underway. That you could easily be scented out as an impostor, so you also need a transfusion…..I managed to get a hold of this when I saw the New Blood building was to go down, thus destroying that which was taken from him. I used a spell to increase the supply but I have to give it all to you and even I don't know if it will be able to fool his kin for too long. But it should work long enough for you to earn their trust and bring the prize to me. And then, surely she will come and I can work a little more magic and she can be yours."

The vampire smirked as he watched the next phase of the task being set up. A liter or so of a very special blood was being brought over by the warlock and he looked at it greedily. "Will it make me just like the real-"

"Unfortunately though you will become a bit faster and stronger, your body is still not the read deal and so you will not be as strong or as powerful as your double. Flight is out of the question I am afraid. But everything else should be close to the real deal. And I will remain nearby to assist you should anything start to unravel." the warlock poked the vamp with a needle and started draining him of his own blood, and soon it was replaced with that of the once they were targeting. Before blacking out, all the vampire could think of was how close he was to getting that which he had wanted since the first time he had seen her in the streets of Stockholm before she and him had left after a tumultuous trip. He wanted her and soon, he would. Tee minutes ticked by until finally, the warlock, Ezra, was pleased with his handiwork. "Now to make time stand still, long enough to make the switch. Remember, the blood will only fool them for so long, they will come to sense something is amiss. But if she thought the kisses of her husband were magical before. Then she has seen nothing yet…..to help make her more….compliant with plans, to keep her from being a threat, I have placed an enchantment upon you, my friend."

"So other than changing my appearance, I am enchanted?" the vampire seemed almost amused with this revelation as he recovered swiftly from the transfusion. "Sounds like something out of a kids book."

"Oh, but this is too real…..one kiss on her lips and she will be put under a powerful spell and she will believe that you are him and that he is the impostor. You, Johan, will have the girl while I get the little one. To use in my research to gain not only the powers of a fairy but of a vampire. Of course, he will be brought here too until I have no further use of him. That will be when I use that which he loves most to be the one to do the dirty deed…." Ezra sighed happily, his sick and twisted thirst for power caring not if he was plotting to destroy a family, a family which had never known of him, let alone done anything to him. But learning of the existence of a young faerie vamp, the stuff of legends…..it was too hard to resist and knowing the parents, he was no fool to go into this without a good plan.

The doppelganger smirked. "You really will let me have her? From the stuff you've told me of her, what she can do…..that she would really be under the spell once I-"

"This is why the dark arts are so dark. Its power is immeasurable and can even stifle those like her with such light magic." Ezra sneered at the thought of her magic. "It would take a miracle to break her from this spell and even if she were to snap out of it, it will be way too late. But I have taken every precaution to make certain this magic is foolproof, that she will be under our control and obey us and only us. I am so confident that she won't be brought out of this magic by her own willpower or outside influences that I am willing to give up another decade of my life to further strengthen the magic that will keep her spelled….I already sacrificed many years off my life to get enough power to change your appearance, what's another decade if it can get me the trifecta of power, in which I can become practically immortal anyway? And while you take her for a prize, I keep the child and raise her as my own…..and as for him, the one you are going to step in for….permanently….before I let the faerie vamp dispose of him, I don't see the harm in taking some of that very, very old and valuable blood from him before he finally meets his demise. And in case of an emergency…" he trailed off as he pressed a thumb against the right wrist of his partner in this game of deception. There, a mark appeared, a mark that matched the one that was also upon the right wrist of Ezra. "I admit, this was a idea I gleaned from the Harry Potter books-a travesty of a series that pales to the reality of my craft-this mark will summon me to you should you need me. All you have to do is press it and watch."

The vampire frowned and put his left index finger upon the one inch by on inch mark that was shaped like a pentagram. Simple at first, upon touching it, the mark sprang to a more colorful life, tiny red drips of real blood coming off the points of the star, with a glow around it that appeared once he touched it. Glancing to the mark on his companions wrist, he saw that it too had developed the same strange characteristics, no longer a simple black star. "Let me guess, it represents the three powers you seek to possess."

"You are certainly a fast learner….you are quite correct. I think this is going to be a promising partnership….you get to make a profit on the Viking and get that which you say you've long searched for-a young faerie vamp creation."

"And I get the kid's mother….and best of all the only one who will be aware of what is happening won't be able to do anything about it."

"Very true Johan, I always thought I picked the right vamp for the job. Cruel, clever…..enviable qualities. And I know you have been waiting to get her since we started this plan some weeks back….I hate that it took me so long to perfect this plan but I dared not get ahead of myself, as the magic involved in every aspect of this needed to be done correctly. Or we both lose and quite badly, I would suspect. But now, we are almost ready to start and with all the research we have done, the information I managed to get from the ruins of that so called Vamp Camp, we know our first target inside and out, you having worked hard to study, to play the part you are taking on….hopefully you have retained enough to fool those closest to him long enough to get her out of the state, as far as you can. And should they come after you, I think you've proven to me that you certainly can fight-"

"Yes, I certainly think I proved myself in that vampire fight club….." mused Johan as he stretched his taller, leaner frame that the magic of the warlock had given him. "You saw how easily I took out those three vamp ninjas….they really thought they stood a chance against me…..they were barely good enough to last five minutes."

"All the reason I searched the places I knew hosted vamp fights, I knew I needed a warrior and you proved your worth. But remember, your skill set is still nowhere as impressive as his is. But with you being from the same country as he, at least you won't get hung up should his progeny speak to you in Swedish….so, I think the time is come to begin the great switcheroo….are you ready Johan?" Ezra asked with a snakelike smirk.

Returning the smirk with one of his own, the tall blonde vampire gave him a innocent look. "Please. Call me Eric."

 **To Be Continued**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

She shook off the strange sensation she had felt, feeling like she had drifted off to sleep but then had awoken. Looking to her right, she saw him sleeping soundly. The whole house was silent, for that matter and she was grateful to not have been woken too early due to their toddler going through not only a growth spurt but her teething was a issue. Already, Aurora had a mouth full of pearly whites and had in fact, revealed she could, when her temper tantrums arose, produce a set of small but still deadly dangerous fangs. And it was all the more reason that Sookie was grateful of her decision to move in with Eric rather than remain in her beloved farmhouse. At least here was far better protected, especially when a being as rare as she was and Aurora was existed. Not that she feared going out and about. She still worked at Bellefleurs, using her magic to flash herself here and there as she pleased. Life really hadn't changed that much….she still saw her family-Jason, Bridget and their twin girls and one son-and considering her neighbors surrounding them in their little private neighborhood, she rarely went a day without seeing Pam, Willa or Ginger. But it was, so far in the past month she had lived here, been a quiet existence and she was grateful she could at least pass the farmhouse on to her brother, thus keeping in the family.

Wrapping a plush pink robe around her, she shuffled into the room that was just recently finished. The only other bedroom in the basement of the mcmansion, she let herself into Aurora's new room, seeing the child just starting to stir. Though only a month old, she was already the size of a three year old and had recently got to start walking here and there, though not always the most steady on her feet. The bruises and small cuts had, of course healed faster than that of the average human child. Still, Sookie was not going to let her child become reckless, though she had a feeling that it would be something learned from her father, at least a little bit. With a family know, Sookie had come to believe that he would rein in his reckless streak, a streak that had risked not only his own life but others he cared for as well. Times had changed and she knew he had as well, knowing Eric thought things through more than he had when she had first met him. He knew he was not as invulnerable as he had once believed. Too many close calls since the day they had met had finally gotten through his thick blonde head and as she thought back to the night that she had first met him, she shook her head in wonderment, that if she had known how their paths would converge, diverge and finally sync up….well, it was something to marvel at, that was for sure.

After a pancake breakfast with some orange juice in a sippy cup for the little one, she helped herself to the last two pancakes she had cooked up on the griddle she had recently bought. Blueberry pancakes were one of her favorites and though he had commented that they looked strange, like they were almost rubbery looking. But she hadn't been fooled and she had said as much. That she knew from time to time he did miss eating normal human food. But he had also been quick to point out that had he been left on his Viking funeral pyre that night then they never would have met. And that, he had said with a wink, would have been a terrible loss….for her. Laughing softly at that memory, she took Aurora into the bathroom and bathed her, unsticking her from the layer of syrup all over her. Though able to use silverware, albeit awkwardly, it seemed that more syrup had gotten in her now shoulder length dirty blonde hair than anywhere else. As the little one splashed in the large tub, toys afloat in the frothy surface, Sookie made sure she had a towel at the ready, but before she could get the child out of the water, there was a blur and foamy bubbled dripped all over the top of her head and the floor. Looking to the doorway, she was unsurprised to see the little one in the strong arms of the Viking who looked amused at the sight of the bubbles that were all over the room.

"I expect you to clean this mess up you know….I am not your maid." Sookie arched a brow as she waved a hand towards the trail of water and bubbled he had caused to be on the floor.

"Of course." he replied, handing her the towel clad Aurora and in a matter of seconds, he had swiftly mopped up ever inch of bubbles and water, sitting on the side of the tub beside her as she finished drying the jabbering toddler up, a pink rubber duck in hand, "I still don't quite understand why these are the go to toys for little ones…." he squeaked the duck with one hand, the child emitting a similarly high pitched squeak.

Laughing, Sookie got up and headed to the nursery, collecting a outfit to change their daughter into and she had known he had followed her. "You are going to start bleeding all over the place you know….you shouldn't be up yet. Not for hours. Not after the night Pam said you all had last night with the anti vamp crowd that stirred up trouble."

He frowned and shook his head. "I don't even want to start talking about such matters now. The bar is still standing and everyone is fine….what I want to do is perhaps plan a outing…..perhaps a trip to the botanical gardens this evening?"

"Oh, I haven't been there in ages….." Sookie said, always loving being surrounded by flowers and nature, especially since she was so connected, to attuned to it, what with what she was. "But I was thinking it would be nice to have Pam and the others come over for some quality time. Its been awhile and apparently, after I got off the phone with Pam last night when she called to let me know about the trouble last night, she has some presents for the munchkin." Sookie explained as she dressed her daughter in a little velvety tracksuit and rubber lined bunny slippers-the second pair she had gotten in a week thanks to her recent growth spurt.

Frowning slightly, the vampire had to work with that which he was given and wearing a long sleeved shirt to hide the mark what held such power, he would need to alter the plans somehow. He and Ezra had planned on taking her out of the little gated community in the ruse of a family outing. But with her stubbornly wanting to receive company, perhaps, he thought to himself, he would need to eliminate the company from arriving, this clearing the way to getting her to Ezra. Besides, he knew the blood he was infused with would only fool the others for so long, that he would, in one way or another be found out as a fraud. And the last thing he and Ezra needed was Pam and Willa chasing them down or rallying others to track them down before Ezra was able to do what he intended with the toddler. Thus likely throwing the plans for Sookie into disarray. Johan cared little if he had to kill the vampires or Ginger, so long as it kept Ezra's plans on track. And so he would go along with Sookie's desire to have them over. Because the one thing he knew was that they wouldn't be making the short trip over.

 **To Be Continued**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

After playing the part of the doting dad and husband for a few hours, the bleeds had, in fact started and claming not to want to look a mess in front of their guest who would be over shortly, he excused himself to their room and instead of resting, slipped out of the house and moved to the house on the left of them. It was Pam's house and it resembled a sleek grey castle, complete with a couple of turrets. Climbing over the gate as he had tried in vain to fly, hoping that Ezra had been wrong about not attaining that ability with having the real Eric's blood in his veins. Unfazed yet slightly disappointed, he remembered he had to sooner, rather than later, kiss Sookie and this snare her into the magic that had been placed upon it. That she would be turned against the others when they inevitable found something was off. Until that time came, things needed to be done with the most utmost of care, of caution. That he, the doppelganger to the real vampire could not be 100 percent the same as the real vampire was, he was very cognizant of and knew he dared not lose his cool, lest all the planning go to hell and he lost out on the prize he had been long promised.

He knocked on the heavy polished wooden door of the house he had learned belonged to the Vikings most loyal progeny. And as Pam answered the door, he got the sense that she was certainly no weakling, nor one to be taken lightly. That he knew of her background thanks to the stolen information Ezra had gotten from the destroyed remains of Vamp Camp. Still, he was older and stronger than she was and though nowhere as old as her real maker was, he could very easily dispatch of her and the others that dared to stand in his way.

"I wasn't expecting to see you….we were just getting things ready to come over there….." Pam said with a frown, stepping back to let him inside, where in the spacious burgundy color living room decorated with cast iron sculptures and sleek black leather furniture, he saw Ginger and Willa there as well, putting some wrapped packages into larger bags, clearly meant for the little one next door.

"thought maybe you would like some help….bringing things over." he said, thinking on the fly of a excuse as to why he was there, not wanting to raise any suspicions. And apparently she was used to his visits because she shrugged and gestured for him to finish packing up some of the packages into the larger bags. Doing so with great care, he felt something odd overcoming him, a tingling feeling and somehow he knew, the transfused blood that was supposed to keep him from being scented out as a fake was wearing out. And fast. He decided that by distracting them with conversation could give him time to think on his feet, to put these three away before they, especially Pam, found out he was a fraud.

"I take it the bar is still….intact after the trouble last night?" he asked, knowing what he had gleaned about the anti vamp people who had tried to wreak havoc at the bar. Knowing that such a topic would anger the fiercely protective Pam, who was as loyal to it as she was to her maker.

"We did a good job glamouring those we didn't kill…" she replied slowly and with a shrug. "Wasn't the first time we had narrow minded hicks at Fangtasia and it won't be the last time. I was in need of a good old bar fight but I would have preferred that they hadn't messed up the bar and scared off our customers. But we all pitched in and got everything cleaned up, ready to get back to business tomorrow night."

Tomorrow night. He thought to himself, knowing he wouldn't be around by them most likely. Stretching out on the couch, he tried to think of what his next move was, things seemed to be moving along slowly, but yet there was no inkling that told him they suspected anything. Unfortunately, what he hadn't noticed, what he had failed to remember was the mark on his right wrist. Having stretched, his sleeve of his jacket had rolled up just enough for Willa to see and she was quick to point it out.

"Since when did you get a tattoo…..wait, vamps cant be tattooed, they will just heal…..is it henna?"

"Ooh, I love henna tattoos…get 'em every time I go to the swap meet in Monroe." Ginger said with a goofy look. "Can we get a look?"

Panic was setting into the vampire and he knew he was not nearly as crafty as the vampire he was playing at being. Still, he reminded himself, he had been in compromising positions in his life before and his face melted into something a little darker. Standing up he hid the mark on his wrist again and started to pace, running a hand through his blonde hair. "I think we have a bit of a problem now….." he was interrupted by Pam having snuck around and trying to strike him with a silver poker. But he was faster and rounded on her, knocking her aside

"You really think you could fool his own family?" Pam said as she stood side by side with Willa, their fangs bared. "We smelled a rat the moment you set foot inside. Who the hell are you?" Ginger was across the room, screaming as was her usual go to panic mode and the tall vampire rolled his eyes.

"Does she always do that? And she is friends with him, with you?" he asked as e watched her flee the room, knowing enough about Ginger to not take her as any kind of a threat. "I'll take care of her later but for now, I just can not have the two of you walking free and being a threat to getting that which I was promised and which I promised to give to my boss." he rounded on the two female vamps who tried to attack but found that whoever this person was, he was still faster and stronger than they were. Pam felt something snap as she went down, her neck being broken by a hand around her neck. Though she would heal, she was helpless to do anything as she heard the sickening sound of more breaking bones and a skirmish as a feisty Wlila had tried as well to fight off this impostor. Dragging them around over his shoulder, he found the basement and there were, he saw Pam had a bed as well as a double wide, plush and very pink coffin.

"What were you promised? What are you after? Pam demanded as she and Willa were tossed into the coffin as if they were nothing but trash. Her eyes met the gaze of the vampire who appeared so much to be her maker but it was evident that there was none of the affection, of the warmth that the real one had for his kin. Her body may have been rendered useless for the time being but she still had that fire blazing in her eyes, her words. And then a disturbing realization fell over her. Why else would a double of her maker be here? "You are here to get to Sookie…..you want his life. Where is he?"

"There are others who will figure this out and take you down." Willa Added, her fiery streak coming through. He was ignoring them for the time being, searching the large house with his sense of smell, finally returning with that which he needed to ensure neither of these women interfered further. Ignoring the pain that the chains of silver were inflicting upon his hands, he set to work making certain the two women were securely bound with the silver within the coffins, which he planned on sealing shit further with yet more silver. "Nice that you keep so much around the house."

"For emergencies." Pam spat bitterly as her wrists and every bit of exposed flesh began to smolder. "You are not going to get away with this….you hurt a hair on either of their heads…especially his…"

"Threats mean nothing to me when you two are more helpless than that obnoxious kid back in his-my, I should say-home. My boss wants the toddler alive and said I could have the mother. And once I can get her to put those lips of hers on mine, she won't believe anything you say to her and she will even be the one to ensure that there is only going to be one Viking standing."

The severity of the situation quickly dawned on the two helpless vampires. "You….you're going to brainwash her to kill Eric? To fall for you…but why do you and whoever your boss is wants Aurora?"

"He is already a powerful warlock and knowing what the kid is, he wants to duplicate her powers into himself, making him a force that is practically unstoppable. Imagine a being that has the powers of a vampire, a faerie and a warlock? And then he plans to raise her for his own and keep a supply of her unique blood around…for a financial hobby, I suppose. Whatever, I don't care. All I care about is that I get the mother for myself and I dare say none of you will ever see her of the child again. And when Sookie kills him herself, I do wish you all could be there to see it." he grinned at the two as he slammed shut the coffin and made certain it was secure. He knew he dared not return to his home until the wounds from the silver healed and luckily, he had not long to wait. Task one completed, he grinned to himself, knowing he was closer to the prize he had been promised. Touching his mark on his right wrist, he was soon joined by Ezra who looked a little surprised to be summoned. But as the vampire explained he had had to move faster what with the blood within him not having fooled the vamps, Ezra instead looked amused.

"Then we move the plan a little faster along than we planned. I should say by the end of the night we will all be cozy comfy back at my place."

 **To Be Continued**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

The feisty waitress had stopped screaming as she managed to climb over the gate of Sookie's house. She had not even thought bout using the intercom at the gate, she was terrified of what was coming eventually behind her. Bloodied and bruised by her fall over the gate, Ginger had fallen out of her flip flops and was racing barefoot to the front door where the rand the bell and knocked on the door as fast and as hard as she possibly could.

"What the hell, Ginger!" Sookie exclaimed as soon as she had flung open the front door and saw the scatterbrained waitress looking pale. Pale and scared. Her annoyance fading, Sookie let the woman in who was now wringing her hands anxiously and it was clear she was wanting to say something but clearly having trouble as to how to begin. "Calm down Ginger, what is it?"

Ginger was pulling at her shoulder length dirty blonde hair, her eye make up smudged giving her the look of a raccoon. "He….it isn't him, do not, for heaven's sake do anything with him, go anywhere with him….in fact, get yourself and the kid out of here before-" she took a tissue from her pocket and wiped her eyes, taking somewhat more normal than usual before removing the tissue from her face. "It ain't our Viking, Sookie. I think he did something to the others and I don't even know it they are still alive or-" she was cut off by a sturdy hand on her shoulder, a hand that turned her to face the source.

"Now whatever would possess you to say such a thing, besides the fact you were drinking. Clearly. Maybe you should scoot off to bed, Ginger before you get yourself sick."

Ginger took enough steps backward for her to get right to Sookie's side, the little one in the adjacent room off the entry hall they were all standing in now could be seen playing, oblivious to the drama playing out. "Sookie, you and I are friends, right? As your friend, I beg you to listen to me. He ain't right, something is wrong and you of all people should be able to sense it."

"Ginger, how much have you had to drink tonight?" Sookie asked gently, trying to be patient with the woman but was eager to have her friends over this evening. But deep down, her instinct was telling her, urging her, to listen to what the woman was saying.

"You've a bond with him, right?" Ginger blurted out as she was being led away and towards the front door by the seemingly concerned Viking. But as their backs had turned, Sookie had closed her eyes, concentrating on the connection, the blood bond that she had with Eric and she felt him….the problem was, he wasn't in the room and yet, she felt he was, the last lingering remains of his blood still within the vampire she was gaping at. Her hands alit with her magic.

"Who the hell are you….." she asked as he shoved Ginger aside and started towards her. She stood her ground but couldn't; deny that seeing the demented, twisted look on the face of the vampire that looked so much like her own was certainly unsettling. She met the terrified eyes of Ginger, who nodded and made to silently escape, to find help or even see about the fates of Ginger and Pam. But instead, Ginger found herself grabbed by the throat and thrown into the floor, knocking her out cold, a ugly gash on the side of her head leaking blood slowly onto the carpeted floor. "I really didn't want to hurt anyone, you know. But they were obstacles that I truly needed to get rid of and I can not let the plans go awry. So. By now you have realized that I am not him. And that that idiotic waitress was right. We thought that by putting some of his blood within me it could mask the fact I wasn't him but clearly, that didn't last for long, if at all. But it doesn't matter now, does it? Because you are not only going to come with me willingly. With the kid in tow, but you will give the child to the man I have been working with and love happily ever after with yours truly. Living to do whatever I ask of you."

She kept her light around her left hand as she crept backwards, trying to get to her daughter. All it would take would be a instant and she and Aurora could be out of this house, safely away from whoever this was. Then she noted the way he pulled up his right sleeve, revealing the strange mark he bore. That he seemed unconcerned with her moving slowly closer to the child made her pause and sure enough, he touched the mark which started to change and glow moments before in the foyer, appeared a impeccably well dressed man who looked at her with amusement in his eyes and nodded at his accomplice.

"I was watching from the manor and was not surprised to receive your call." the man gestured to the tattoo on his right wrist that had stopped glowing and had reverted to being a mere black pentagram outline. She had seen the glow, the blood that had dripped from it when the vampire had touched his and she knew it was some kind of means of communication, a alert of sorts. To her horror, in a few moments, he had somehow gained the toddler, holding her gently in his arms and muttering a incantation, put the child to sleep. "Turn off that light, my dear. I have not, nor have I ever planned on harming you or the kid. What I want is her power. I need a newborn for this to work perfectly and you will soon forget your troubles. Your terrible losses of your daughter to me and your own murder of your own beloved. To say nothing of you going on with your life so blissfully unaware of the truth. With him."

There came a haunted look over her face as she reluctantly made her light go away, looking at her daughter in fear, in worry. "What are you saying? That I would kill him….that I would go with…..who are you two anyway?" she was flustered and wanted so badly to take her daughter from the arms of the man in the suit. But she sensed the power radiating through this man and knew it would be foolish to act. At least she could get the story straight. And so the man, introducing himself as Ezra, explained what he was planning, and where he had come up with the doppleganger.

"It took a lot of dark magic to make him look exactly like your Eric…unfortunately I couldn't duplicate the skill set. Mind you, he is not one to be trifled with." Ezra said as he walked to the living room and took one of the child's fleece blankets and wrapped it around the slumbering child. "Only weeks old and appears to be a two year old, remarkable. But where are my manners, let me introduce myself and my friend here. My name is Ezra and very soon it will be a name to fear. And this strapping figure with me is the

She said nothing but walked over to the vampire that looked so much like her own and yet, she saw he had put aside the masquerade of caring for them, that there was nothing but coldness to him, literally and figuratively. "Where is he? If you don't tell me I-" she was stopped by a pain in her back and turned to see the man, Ezra, had let loose one hand, careful of the child in his grasp, to cast a stinging hex of sorts at her. To distract her long enough for his accomplice to do that which would seal the fates of her and her family. And so her fate was sealed as the false Viking forced his lips upon hers and as she tried to fight him off, her light reappearing, ready to attack, it also faded again quickly, her fight draining from her body, her eyes and there came an almost dullness in her bright brown eyes, a sense of giving up. And it was by seeing that that Ezra clapped merrily.

"It worked….she is all ours….soon to be just yours, until that which needs to be done is done. Let's get out of here, shall we?"

Grinning at the prize that was now his, the doppelganger followed his companion from the house, and it was now only a matter of time before he was to be the last Viking standing.

 **To Be Continued**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

They were safely inside the large manor house, Ezra slipping the switch on in the foyer to light up the living room. "Well, this has come long faster than I had thought but I think regardless, it is working out in our favor, do you not agree?"

"We left a dead body back at the house…..perhaps we should not have left her there." Johan said as he frowned at Ezra.

"You threw her hard, and besides, the woman has a reputation of being addle brained, what with the number her brain has taken from the real Eric and that vamp's friends….it will be chalked up to a drunken accident, did you not smell the booze on her?"

"I did…..but-"

"Have I ever led you astray? Do you not have a bewitched prize of your own as we speak?" Ezra nodded to the girl hanging on the arm of the vampire and as he looked at the almost sullen, zombie like state that Sookie was in, Ezra laughed right in her face, addressing the faerie vamp tauntingly. "Seems that your magic was not nearly enough to save you from this….this will be so much fun….." he turned back to address the doppelganger. "You and I have been working on this for some time. Now is not the time to question me or my plans. That waitress is not a threat and on the off chance that she were to find us, do you really think she could-'

"Ok, ok, you're right….she's as hopeless as we had researched her as being. But I would feel better if you'd let me go back and make sure that she's been offed." Johan said as he followed his boss into the furthest room in the hall, the most secure of all the chambers in the rather macabre basement of the gothic style manor. And with their prizes in tow, Ezra was certain, confident that even if they were found out, with the powers that they both possessed, those friends and family members would be disposed of easily. It was a confidence that could either make him look even more threatening of prove to be his downfall. But with the way things had gone thus far, Ezra was inclined to believe that there would be no stopping him now. And besides, even without the powers he was planning on duplicating into himself, he was powerful enough and could, if needed, command a magic he knew all vamps feared. That he was accomplished in necromancy was a added skill set he was fully prepared to use, if necessary.

They entered the dank yet clean room that so closely resembled a medieval dungeon, the room where there, in a cell of silver bars and bound by silver manacles on the concrete wall move a foot above the ground was the true Viking. And seeing the figures that had entered the softly lit room, the scent of blood still hanging in the air from the transfusion not too long ago, a new flare up of anger arose in his face. "What have you done to her?" Eric snapped as he saw that clearly, something seemed off about Sookie, who seemed unfazed at seeing his precarious situation. That there was not a trace of her warmth, her love there was unsettling. To say nothing of the still sleeping child that the warlock then placed gently on the bloodstained table where he had created the doppelganger. Though the plan had been explained to him, he was still having trouble believing what he was seeing, that things had spiraled out of control so fast, so smoothly.

"As I promised, neither are harmed and will remain as such. But as you also know, your time is nearly out. You have had a very, very long life and you did get to enjoy her for a little while. But now its time to give her to someone else…: Ezra said as he nodded towards the entranced faerie vamp, who seemed to care nothing for the fact that her child was in the hands of the warlock. "Aw….you look worried and a little pissed off….don't worry though, Johan here will see to it that your precious Sookie here is well cared for….and trained well to only ever do as he commands. Even if it means she were told to annihilate the loved ones that will undoubtedly come after her."

"You've turned her into some kind of robot…"

"I prefer to call it as being more….compliant. Because I know how powerful she is and this was the way I thought of that could keep her powers in check and to repay the one that is helping make this all possible. In a matter of hours, I will have all the power I have ever wanted, you will be nothing more than a memory-to some of us-and everyone will live happily….ever….after." Ezra grinned as he saw the reaction he was getting from the notoriously stoic Viking.

"Why….why any of this? To destroy lives? All in the name of power?" Eric was truing to remain as composes as he could but with the burning of the silver upon him and seeing his family helpless and ignorant of the trouble they were in, he was shaking as he spoke. "It's about power and power alone, isn't it? I've seen people who wanted power and control over people before and it never boded well for them…..and for a long time, I thought power was all I wanted. But I was wrong. You are on a dangerous path and I have always been a survivor-"

"Yeah, yeah, I know. I know your long life story. You were saved from a funeral pyre and then kept surviving calamity after calamity. From hep-v, to werewolves and to a mountaintop sunburn that nearly took you out….yeah, you have been a survivor to many things but frankly we don't have the time to go down memory lane. We need to look to the future-not yours, you don't have one-but it will certainly be a good and prosperous one for me and my little family here." Ezra said as he took the child and hugged her closer to him, taunting and teasing the trapped vampire, who was getting more agitated, more angered, trying his damndest to summon strength to at least get free of the silver manacles. Ignoring the cold laughter of his foes, it surprised even Eric when he pulled the chains from the wall, ripping out concrete as he did so. One by one, he managed to tear the manacles off his wrists and ankles and it was that fit of violence that drove him to attempt the silver bars of the cell next. But this obstacle was too much even for him, the pain when he touched the bars tearing through him unlike anything he had ever felt. "Laced with magic unlike anything you could ever imagine. You really thought I didn't know your stubbornness, your courage? So close yet so far…" taunted Ezra as he gestured for the vampire to follow him. "Leave her here for a few moments so he can say his goodbyes. Because within the next couple hours, at midnight, I will have the powers I have always wanted. Enjoy yourself won't you? I must prepare the little one for her moment in the sun. something her dear daddy can never have again, I fear."

Locking the door behind him, Ezra and the doppelganger left a mute Sookie staring dully ahead, unconcerned about anything. The smell of burning flesh from the wounds sustained by attempting to break the bars on the cells hung in the room and time was running out. "Come on, come back to me." there was a pleading in his voice that he had so rarely ever used in his life but seeing her in the way she was, it was breaking his long still heart. A heart that though dead was still full of life, of love. And he was not going to let his family be destroyed. He had lost enough family and suffered enough heartbreak over a thousand years and was not going to let some slimy warlock and a pale imitation of himself destroy the new life he had come to embrace. Saw her only blink a "Listen to me, Sookie, this isn't you, you are more powerful now than you've ever been in your life…..you can fight whatever magic has been used on you….I can't get out of here….I….just can't." angrily, he tried once more, in vain to break the bars but even his immense strength and power was tempered, almost completely negated by the silver and the magic within the bars. "You have to snap out of this if we are going to survive this." ignoring the pain he had once more put himself in with a second failed attempt at escaping the cell, he saw her blinking and he saw, for a brief moment, that there were tears there. Tears she was blinking back.

"I….want to do something, but I can't…its like I am a puppet on strings." she whispered. "When he tells me to kill you, I don't think I can stop myself…." she still looked expressionless though the tears were streaming down at a faster clip now.

"You. Need. To. Believe in yourself. I always have said that you needed to embrace what you were and now with what you've become…..our family is on the line here, Sookie and I have tried and tried to get out of here. That psychopath has made it impossible. Unless you can do something."

Though she felt heartbroken, she steeled herself, closing her eyes. But they flittered open as she and the prisoner realized, through the shared blood of their family, a bond that would never truly be broken, that there was a small but still dangerous cavalry outside the house. The question was, how far would they get, how far would Sookie let them get if she couldn't even fight off the tethers of magic keeping her as good as a prisoner as Eric was. Her body seemed to tense up again as the door opened and she saw the warlock in the doorway accompanied by his accomplice, dressed in a dark blue ceremonial robe, splattered with the blood that could only have come from one source, judging by the scent that Sookie and Eric got from him. Sure enough, the warlock pulled out a crystal vial from a pocket and dangled it teasingly before the two of them, Sookie once more in a somewhat catatonic state. "Looks like we have to move things a little faster than I had planned. Seems to be that more of your freakish family has decided to show up."

 **To Be Continued**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

It had been thanks to Ginger that they were here, standing before the spooky house. That the warlock and doppelganger had been foolish enough to underestimate Ginger to spare her life had allowed her to return to Pam's house to rescue them from the coffin and the silver they had been trapped within. Having allowed them to replenish their strength by drinking from her, they had healed Ginger of her own slight injured and left her back at Pam's house where she would be safe. Pam had thought at least Ginger deserved to be spared any further pain and besides, even though she had come through this time didn't guarantee she wouldn't find some way to screw things up here. And they couldn't afford any screwups, not with what was at risk.

It had been the scent of their family members that had led them the surprisingly short distance to the manor house in between Shreveport and Bon Temps, a little town called Keshequa. It was non descript in every way, looking like the average American small town. Save for the historical manor that now housed a madman and his creation. "So…..you think there are traps around here somewhere?" Willa asked as she stood beside Pam, looking through the gates of the softly lit house.

"I don't know….I freaking mate magic." Pam grumbled, knowing first hand what magic could do. Her face being a melty mess some time ago remained fresh in her mind. "If this guy is as powerful as I think he is and can do the crap like Marnie could….we could well be walking into a trap and we wind up being at the mercy of his powers…necromancy is no joke and I would expect that he has that ability."

"And if he controls us, then we will lose them all….." Willa said as she fell deep in thought. "At least we know where they are and maybe there's someone with some kind of, I don't know, anti-necromancy magic. Make us at least immune to it?"

Looking at the house that she desperately wanted to bust into, Pam knew that if they had any chance, they had to at least find a way to avoid being taken control over. "I think I know where we can go…..hopefully she will help us. But we gotta make it quick. Time ain't on our side, I don't think."

Holly was finishing busing her last table when she was greeted by the last faces she had expected to see. Though she knew full well who they were, her interactions with the two were limited. "A little far from Shreveport, ain't ya? " holly said as she was led gently to the office by Willa, Pam closing the door behind her. "Something's wrong, I sense a vibe about both of you and-"

"Yeah, something's wrong, when is it ever right when it comes to us." Pam interrupted, annoyance on her face and in her voice. She explained what had happened up to their arrival here at the bar and Holly looked horrified for that which was at stake. "So can you help? You were in that little witch coven for a little while and you run that shop now…..what can you do for us to make us immune?"

Holly looked thoughtful for a moment as her face brightened. "I have been working on all kinds of protective spells and it so happens I do know of one that should help you. But it won't be a very long lasting one, maybe a few hours at most."

"Hopefully this can all be over in a few hours." Pam said. "Look, if you could just get on with this…..do you need crystals, potions, blood sacrifices-"

"All I need is for you to quiet down and calm yourselves as best you can, let the good energies flow into you and when you feel it, you will know that it has worked. It only takes an incantation and so long as we are not interrupted, it should work. People thing all spells require materials but it is not the case most of the time." Holly explained and after allowing the two woman to do as they had been told, she cast the spell that took just over two minutes to cast. And as soon as the wiccan had finished her incantation, the two vampires felt a warming sensation, a tingling sensation wash over them.

"That felt funny." commented Willa.

"Well, then I cast it correctly but if you start feeling it again and you are around that warlock….you'd best be getting the hell out of there or this will have been for nothing." Holly paused. "Do you need more backup? I mean, it sounds like you are in some serious trouble and-"

"We got this." Willa replied fiercely. "That guy has no clue who he's messing with. He is gonna regret all of what he has done and what he's trying to do. We have both learned from the best how to fight, to defend ourselves and as for that freak Eric wanna be….I just hope its either me or the real Eric that gets to take him out." Pam spat angrily. And as she and her companion turned to leave, she cringed. "Thanks for your help."

"Anything for Sookie and her own." Holly said gravely. "But I will send help if I don't hear nothing by sunrise. I can track y'all easy with a locating spell. And I have gotten good at using water to search out for people. I can check in on you whenever I want."

That was oddly reassuring to Pam. "I guess not all witches are bad….." she said slowly. "With any luck, Willa and I will be soaked in the enemy's blood within the hour." and leaving things at that, she and Willa fled the bar and flew back to the manor house where they hoped they weren't too late.

Inside the house, everyone was gathered, save for little Aurora, safely secured in a room up the hall, a room as secure as the one they were currently within. Taking no chances, the warlock had spelled the door of her room for added protection as he knew they were being watched from outside. He ignored the fact that his partner was already raking his hands through the long blonde hair of the entranced Sookie, smelling her hair, her neck.

"I certainly can't wait to get a nip out of this. She's tasty enough on the outside but….Ezra, do you mind? I am feeling a little on the peckish side….."

"She is as good as yours and you have done well….mind you, don't take too much as one could wind up too drunk to do the rest of their job properly. As in, I will need assistance at ridding us of those outside who think they can stop us." Ezra said to Johan who wasted little time in sinking his fangs into the neck of Sookie, who seemed to still struggle against the magic keeping her compliant to Johan and Ezra. Though it lasted but a brief moment and neither of the villains had seen it, Eric had. Her light had flickered in her fingers, a angry bluish purple. A hint of her anger wanting badly to get out, to free herself and her family. The faerie fury, a powerful manifestation of only the most strongest of fae's magic. And if only she could get angrier, that her magic could break herself out of this state of mind.

"Enough with that now, Johan, you don't want to drain her before you get to play with her, now do you?" Ezra said as he cupped Sookie's face, forcing her to look into his twisted, manic one. "You though yourself so safe with your precious Viking in your precious house and now, I am about to have everything I ever wanted. The power, the prestige." he turned from her and taking the vial of blood that had been taken from the child, he started to cast a incantation, waving a hand slowly over the special blood which started to shimmer, the fairy in the blood revealing itself. A specter of darkness appeared as the warlock continued his spell, a spell which would prepare his body to not only drink the blood but to steal its powers within. And as he uncapped the bottle and looked around at the faces watching him, he smiled contentedly. "Bottoms up." and he drank the still illuminated liquid, his body shuddering and then falling lifelessly to the ground. And it was then there came a loud crashing noise from above as two familiar and welcome faces peered down into the hole that they had made, looking rather pleased with herself.

"Get rid of them." Johan whispered to Sookie, whose hands were starting to alight with a deadly magic once more. And she lifted her hands, the light becoming so bright that for several long moments, no one could see anything even a inch in front of their faces. And then, the body on the floor rose, a second sound, a blast shattering the peace that had lasted but for such a short time.

 **To Be Continued**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Chaos had broken out and upon the realization that Sookie had broken free of the enchantment and had blasted the cell bars to melted puddles of silver, the revived Ezra had barely a moment to test out if his plans had worked. He needn't have worried as he soon shot like a cannon upwards through the hole in the basement ceiling, going after the two intruders that had interrupted but not fully stopped, his plans. Though it was clear to the slowly recovering Sookie, awakening from the stupor she had managed to fight out of, he had, in fact succeeded in merging himself with the powers of a vamp and a fairy. There was a pressure upon her arms as she felt herself being pulled from the basement, Johan clearly wanting nothing more than to get his prize to safety.

"Let me go….I broke free of the spell and-" she was stopped as she took in the damage to the cell that she had obliterated. There was splatters of blood and the smell of what she could only describe as….death. Not a trace of her true Viking was anywhere to be seen and she screamed in anguish at what she had inadvertently done. She had only meant to destroy the bars and yet…she saw nothing but devastation.

"Looks like you disintegrated him…less competition for me and even though you broke free of the spell, you aren't leaving me…you were promised to me and I am keeping you, one way or another." something slammed into her midsection without warning and she saw his hand pull away from her, revealing a syringe that smelled very strongly of what was deadliest and most dangerous to faeries. "Not enough to kill you but enough to keep those pesky powers of yours in check." he laughed as he scooped her up roughly and made to escape the manor. Outside, however, it appeared a battle was, in fact, raging. The two vampires had survived their rough treatment by Ezra, who was looking furious as Sookie was barely able to keep her eyes open, the iron racing through her blood. What she could see was that he was trying to spell the two women, to control them. Something was keeping him from being able to do so and whatever it was, Sookie thanked them, whoever or whatever it was. But tears stung her eyes as she thought back to the cell. Had she been trying to free him from the cell or instead, had she been ordered to do as Ezra had commanded. Everything was such a blur over the past hours and she came to conclude that she had not, in fact been ordered to kill. Either way, the results had clearly been what Ezra and his protégé had hoped anyway.

Pam and Willa were fighting with all they had against the warlock, who launched balls of light at them, laughing and in the light of the magic and of the moon above, he looked nothing less than a maniac. A monster. The women had managed to find ancient weapons from somewhere in the manor and were trying to fight with them, knowing that a beheading would certainly put an end to this creature. Ignoring the fight, Johan instead fled towards the three car garage and threw his unwilling passenger into the enclosed bed of the truck. Seeing her too weak to even move much, he smirked at her as he took to the driver's seat. The truck pulled away from the scene where Sookie started to hear the shouting and blasting occurring less and less. Cursing herself, she cried herself to the brink of having trouble breathing. She hadn't thought they had driven too terribly far when the vehicle lurched to an abrupt stop. Had they hit a deer, or had Ezra made quick work of her feisty family members? She held her breath as she heard the door of the truck bed open and felt herself being pulled out by her legs. Trying to fight the iron affecting her as well as the rough hands that had dragged her out of the car, she started lashing out with her hands, hoping at least her longish fingernails would allow a window of opportunity for her to try to make an escape. Instead, she was spun around, forced to look at the attacker and for a moment, she was haunted and fearful. That her child was still at the manor, locked up in a room all on her own, that she had…..she couldn't bring herself to think it. What had she done? The magic used on her had led her to be in this bewildered state and now with the taint of iron within her, she was nothing. Weak. Useless to her family. What was left if it, anyway. She stopped as she took a better look, using the moonlight, the starlight to look through the layer of blood splattering the face of her apparent assailant. Who wasn't, in fact such a thing, to her shock.

"How…..I mean, the light, everything seemed to happen at once and I was only trying to-" she stopped as she was helped remain on her feet, the weakness within her very much prevalent, though the gleam, the sparkle had returned to her eyes with the return of the one, true Viking vampire. She let him pull her close and though looking a little worse for wear, he was intact. Pulling away, she nearly fell over and turned around and saw, on the ground, a pool of goo that could only be a dead vampire.

"Clearly he was a pale imitation, couldn't even fly. And talk about a coward? One look at me and he tried to run!" scoffed Eric as he looked her up and down, surveying her for any injuries. "I smell the iron in you….I could heal you fast."

Relieved that he was more or less himself again, she nodded. "Make it fast, we have to get back to the others before he finishes them-" she was stopped as she looked past him to the three figures approaching. But another figure had joined them from behind and she was surprised to see Holly had joined them.

"I had a feeling I needed to come and it looks like I was right….that spell was supposed to protect them from being controlled but….." Holly trailed off, pointing to the two vampires stalking towards them, Ezra trailing close behind with a grin on his face-a fanged one. "Looks like he got his wish for more powers…"

"Looks like." Sookie said as she finished nipping a little blood from the wrist he had bitten open for her. Already feeling better, she didn't put her own fangs away and instead took his hand into hers as they stormed forward to finish this once and for all. Pissed off human parents were one thing but when you added some supernatural aspects to the mix, the two parents approaching the warlock and the two spelled vamps were certainly nothing to sneeze at. Holly followed the two gingerly, thinking on her feet as to how she may help the situation.

"Nice try, wiccan." Ezra looked past the couple in front of Holly. "I smell wiccan magic and as strong as it can be, its no match to me and my own powers. Why Don't you run home and play with your little magic sets before things get ugly. This is between these two and me…" he frowned as he saw the blood that was splattered over the Viking and lost his smirk. "You didn't…you killed my creation?"

"Is that really any surprise? Your version of me was a pathetic shell of the real thing." sneered the Viking as he shed the tattered remains of his tank top and leather jacket and kept on approaching the villain and his entranced kin. "I don't want them involved in this."

"Too late, they decided to meddle in this and so why not put them into use in dispatching of you once and for all. And then I suppose with the demise of your doppelganger, I should have to take on the responsibility of taking your wife as well. Imagine the family she, myself and the little one will make. Once I repair the spell she broke free of, anyway. I should never have thought she wouldn't manage to break my spell but no matter, with my new powers, they fuel my magic, make it stronger. I dare say I will be able to enchant her permanently. And with her _and_ your daughter under my thumb…..ah, the possibilities are endless." Ezra said as he turned to his companions, both of whom looked dead eyes and soulless. Nothing more than his puppets to control and remembering how it had been when he had been under the influence of a necromancer. Not wanting the same for his kin, eh turned to Sookie. "I would rather you not have to but you may need to use that light of yours to do to them what you had to do to me to snap them out of it….."

She said nothing but turned to Holly who seemed oddly relieved. Turning back to him she smirked. "Not necessary. Turns out her power was stronger than he bargained." and from behind, the talented actresses that were supposedly spell bound were far from that and leapt upon the villain, each wielding a short knife that they stuck in him many a time in a attempt to finish him off. Instead, he shoved them off him with a blast of light, not strong enough to kill but did stun the two. As they feebly stirred from the attack, Ezra made his hands light up once more, Sookie recognizing the ball of light he was manifesting, a light that would destroy both Willa and Pam with one blast. He was so intent on using his newfound power, to use it to kill, that he was woefully ignorant to the danger of the three creeping up behind him. Using her wiccan powers, Holly summoned the power of the earth to obey her, roots breaking from the ground and coiling around him like thick snakes.

"What is the meaning of this?" he roared as he tried fighting and biting through the roots but with each one he ripped or broke, more replaced it. Seeing that the wiccan was responsible, he managed one blast of light which struck her down. But he was snarled up enough that it was enough of a hindrance for him to be the recipient of a devastating attack by a figure that hadn't appeared as animalistic as he now did in some time. There was nothing but hate and malice in his blue eyes as he ripped the throat out of Ezra as he had tried in vain to cast a spell. And still not satisfied with that, he tore the arms and legs from the body, only stopping when two pairs of arms grabbed his own, gently. Seeing Pam and Willa revived and at his side, he slowly lost the rage that had overtaken him. With a last kick to the body of the man who had caused so much trouble in such a short time, he silently went to where Sookie was tending to Holly, who was dazed and a little bruised. But otherwise fine.

"You were so brave to come out here…..I mean, that guy was…..well, you saw what he was…..and that your magic saved them…" Sookie turned to Pam and Willa. "I really thought he had taken you two over."

"Well, perhaps in the next stage in our long lives, acting should be something we think about trying….but I won't lie, for a few moments, his power did seep into me. I felt it. But your wiccan friend here…she was the one that saved the day." Pam reluctantly admitted, having wanted to save the day. "As fun as this has been, I say we get the hell out of here and-"

"This has to be taken care of." Willa said as she gestured to the gore all around them, from the blood filled truck to the remains of the demented warlock. "Look, you all have been through a lot more than we have…..go back and get the kid and get home and rest. We can clean this up, right Pam?" Willa said, glancing at her friend who looked less than ecstatic about the task ahead but considering how close they had all been to losing so much, she relented.

"Fine. Just as long as you two get yourselves home and safe." Pam said as she looked from Willa to the spot where Sookie and their now free patriarch stood, looking exhausted but relieved that this latest crisis was over. "Well…..don't just stand there, we got this, go get the kid!"

Nodding, the two sped off back to the manor house a short flight away. Landing them in the front yard, he let her down gently as they raced into the house, to the room that was no longer spelled to keep others from entering. And to their relief, and yet shock, they came to find their daughter safe and sound but a foot taller and appearing to be more of a five year old than the two year old she had appeared to be mere hours earlier.

"Gotta love faerie growth spurts…..but at least they aren't as rapid as pure faeries….." Sookie said as she scooped up the still sleeping child from the simple bed she had been left on. The child awoke from the touch of her mother and brushed her long and now lighter blonde hair from her little face. "Hey kiddo." Sookie said as she took in the way her daughter looked now. Same yet different, the baby face was diminished somewhat and as much as she knew that within months Aurora would likely be fully grown, there was still plenty of time to enjoy together.

"What happened?" asked the little one as she finally noticed her father in the room with them and with outstretched arms, she let herself be handed over to Eric who was slightly amused that she didn't seem to mind his rather messy appearance.

"She's talking." he said in wonder. "Are you ok, little one?" he asked as he played gently with her hair, looking her all over to make sure there was no damage done to his daughter.

"There was a lot of noise and I felt shakin and there were screamings." rambled the child. "Then I felld asleep and then mommy woke me up….." Aurora said as she grinned a bright grin at her parents. Hugging her close to him, he looked over her head to a equally relieved Sookie. "Good thing about these growth spurts is that soon I can start teaching her the finer aspects of my own heritage. Every girl should know how to hold a sword. And put it to good use, of course."

Rolling her eyes, Sookie silently thought to herself that no one, not even she or their daughter would ever be able to take the Viking out of the vampire or vice versa. They were one and the same and she really had to admit, she wouldn't have it any other way. He was even more than that now, she saw as she followed him from the room, leading them out of the house and back into the fresh air where Holly waited for them.

"Everything good? " she asked as she took in the sight of the child that was much larger than the last time she had seen her. "As much experience as I have had with faerie babies, its always a shock to see them after a growth spurt…..how about I whisk y'all back home?"

"That would be great, Holly…thank you for everything." Sookie hugged her friend as Holly gave Aurora a quick hug and a pat on the head.

"I am always here for you guys…..now let me get you sent back home so you can get some rest and get the kid put to bed. I'll call in the morning to check on you, Sookie."

 **Epilogue**

Holly was as good as her word and after casting a spell that sent the three back to their house, and right into their large living room, it was time to take stock of everything. The room was still littered with the carnage that had been caused earlier. The damage would be taken care of the next day, Sookie vowed as she followed Eric into the nursery, which would also need some remodeling and some updating. The room was now no longer age appropriate for the child that appeared five now.

For the night, the large crib would need to suffice and as they worked together to put the once again slumbering Aurora to bed, wrapping her snugly in a purple cashmere blanket that had been put aside for when she was bigger, the two flopped down on the loveseat that had been used to give bottle feedings to the former baby. "I know we have been through some weird ass crap…but that was…..that was the worst…..being with someone that looked just like you…..that I was fooled and then spelled to be nothing more than his-their-slave-" she shuddered. "If I had only been able to see the truth sooner, I should have seen it sooner! Then our kid wouldn't have gone through what she did and-" she was stopped by a pale finger to her lips.

"I am not one to admit this…usually…but those two bested both of us. It was a cunningly clever charade and that they researched me so well that even you were deceived…..gotta hand it to them for their commitment to their plans."

Sookie was not going to be easily assuaged. Getting up, she walked out of the basement nursery and didn't stop until she had walked down the hall to their room, flopping down on the bed on her side, her face looking at the wall. She knew he had followed her and sighed. "I will never forgive myself for this….and that I almost could have killed you…I am not as strong as I thought I was, to say nothing of be being rather…stupid…..again!"

He lay down next to her and started massaging her shoulders. Swedish massage, indeed, she thought to herself with a slight look of ecstasy on her face. "You are far from weak and you are most certainly not stupid. They were good at what they did and if they had been smarter, they would be living still. That the three of us and our family, Ginger and Holly are all safe and sound speaks to the fact that we are fighters, not quitters. That one can make mistakes and yet come to triumph over those who mean us harm. That magic that was used was some seriously devious crap."

She sighed as she turned to face him. "You always have had a way of making me feel better….but nothing is going to take the guilt away that I couldn't even tell that you weren't you….." she pulled away from him and got up on her feet. "I think this time was a close call too many and I can't stand the idea that somehow, someway, my power, my sheer idiocy could be the one thing that takes you out once and for all. With all that you have survived, it could very well be your own wife that is the true death of you." she closed the bathroom door behind her, a sad look in her eyes and as much as he was tempted to join her in the shower, he knew now was no time for such a thing. The one thing he did know was that this latest trial had scarred his dear Sookie deeply and perhaps, permanently.

 **The End**

 _ **Authors Note-don't worry, I don't plan on having the melancholy ending stick for too long, wanted to end a story a little differently. Another story will continue this dramatic saga. Please read and review-Thank you!**_


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